Miss Camilla’s house offered attractions not a few, chiefly in the way of unlimited cookies and other eatables. But her enjoyment of the cookies was tempered by the fact that the whole party suddenly took it into their heads to proceed to the cellar and, what was even worse, to attempt again the loathsome undertaking of scrambling through the narrow place in the wall and the journey beyond. She herself accompanied them as far as the cellar, but further than that she refused to budge. So they left her in the cellar with a candle and a seat conveniently near a barrel of apples.
It amazed her, moreover, that a person of Miss Camilla’s years and sense should engage in this foolish escapade. She had learned to expect nothing better of Sally and “Dowis,” but that Miss Camilla herself should descend enthusiastically to so senseless a performance, caused her somewhat of a shock. She had not expected it of Miss Camilla.
It transpired, however, that they did not proceed far into the tunnel. She could hear them talking and exclaiming excitedly, and discussing whether “this was really twenty-seven,” and “hadn’t we better count again,” and “shall we saw it out,” and other equally pointless remarks of a similar nature. Wearying of listening to such idle chatter, and replete with cookies and russet apples, she had finally put her head down on the edge of the barrel and had fallen fast asleep.
When she had awakened, it was to find them all back in the cellar, and Miss Camilla making the pleasant announcement that “they would have luncheon now and get to work in earnest afterward.” A soul-satisfying interval followed, the only really bright spot in the day for Genevieve. But gloom had settled down upon her once more when they had risen from the table. Solemnly they had taken her on their laps (at least Miss Camilla had!) and ominously Sally had warned her:
“Now, Genevieve, we’ve got something awfully important to do this afternoon. You don’t like to go down in that dark place, so we’ve decided not to take you with us. You’d rather stay up here in the sunshine, wouldn’t you?” And she had nodded vigorously an unqualified assent to that proposition. “Well, then,” Sally had continued, “you stay right on this porch or in the sitting-room, and don’t you dare venture a foot away from it. Will you promise?” Again Genevieve had nodded. “Nothing will hurt you if you mind what we say, and by and by we’ll come back and show you something awfully nice.” Genevieve had seriously doubted the possibility of this latter statement, but she was helpless in their hands.
“And here’s plenty of cookies and a glass of jam,” Miss Camilla had supplemented, “and we’ll come back to you soon, you blessed baby!” Then they had all hugged and kissed her and departed.
Well, they had not kept their word. She had heard the little clock in the room within, strike and strike and strike, sometimes just one bell-like tone, sometimes two and three and four. She could not yet “tell the time” but she knew enough about a clock to realize that this indicated the passing of the moments. And still there had been no sign of return on the part of the exploring three.
Genevieve whimpered a little and wiped her eyes, sad to say, on her sleeve. Then she thrust her hand, for the fortieth time into the cooky-jar. But it was empty. And then, in sheer boredom and despair, she put her head down on the arm of her chair, tucked her thumb into her mouth and closed her eyes to shut out the tiresome scene before her. In this position she had remained what seemed a long, long time, and the clock had sounded another bell-like stroke, when she was suddenly aroused by a sound quite different.
At first she did not give it much thought, but it came again louder this time, and she sat up with a jerk. Was some one calling her? It was a strange, muffled sound, and it seemed as if it were like a voice trying to pronounce her name.
“Genev—! Genev—!” That was all she could distinguish. Did they want her, possibly to go down into the horrible cellar and hole? She went to the door giving on the cellar steps and listened. But, though she stood there fully five minutes, she heard not so much as a breath. No, it could not be that. She would go out doors again.